Overview

• Two peer-reviewed studies published on 8 September in Astrophysical Journal Letters analyzed four JWST NIRSpec transits of TRAPPIST-1e.
• The data exclude a carbon-dioxide–dominated atmosphere, leaving either a secondary nitrogen-rich envelope or an airless rocky surface as viable possibilities.
• Researchers applied a novel method to separate star-induced signals from planetary features, a process that required more than a year of data cleaning.
• Observation plans call for expanding coverage from four to nearly twenty transits in the coming years to distinguish between the remaining scenarios.
• TRAPPIST-1e orbits a red dwarf about 40 light-years away in the star’s habitable zone, so confirming any atmosphere is key to judging prospects for surface water.